Introduction

Chandigarh has one of the best educational facilities in the country with many institutes of national and international repute such as Panjab University, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research etc. However the city lacked a Medical College for graduate studies, i.e. MBBS. To fulfill this deficiency, Government Medical College & Hospital was established to provide an opportunity of a career in medicine to many promising students who were denied this opportunity because of ‘domicile’ restrictions imposed by other states.
In addition due to ever increasing population of the city of Chandigarh, expansion of southern sectors, satellite townships of Panchkula and SAS Nagar, expansion of healthcare facilities were urgently required as existing facilities were overburdened.
In order to achieve both objectives, Government Medical College & Hospital was started in 1991.

Objectives

The broad objectives of Government Medical College & Hospital are as below :
» To provide comprehensive health careencompassing preventive, promotive, curative
and rehabilitative healthcare to the residents of North India drawn from the
urban/semi-urban and rural areas.
» To provide out-patient, in-patient and round the clock maternity and emergency care
services in all basic and supportive general specialties. These services would
be provided free to the poor and at reasonable cost to the more affluent
sections of the society.
» To provide specialized services in clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic fields like cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, endocrinology, pulmonology, nephrology, neonatology, neurosurgery, urology, plastic surgery and burns, etc.
» To act as a free medical institution for direct/first level contact for patients and also as a secondary level referral center for the referred cases from nearby smaller/large hospitals (Government/private), health centers, polyclinics and dispensaries.
» To act, specifically, as a regional overflow multi-disciplinary institution for referred cases by linking horizontally with other peripheral 100 bedded and 500 bedded general hospitals, major teaching institutions and larger multi-disciplinary hospital situated in other parts of Chandigarh.
» To reduce considerably the present workload of other hospitals, especially the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh and thereby offer maximum relief to the economically weaker section and middle section of the people residing in rural and semi-urban areas of Chandigarh.
» To participate in various national health programmes by linking with various Government/private hospitals and health centers (horizontally and vertically) and providing necessary infrastructure and facilities as per their demands.
» To fulfill the glaring deficiency of an undergraduate Medical College in the Union Territory of Chandigarh which offers the best educational facilities in all other fields.
» To act as a center for Continuing Medical EducationProgrammes (CMEs) for various categories of technical and non-technical personnel of different disciplines.
» To render facilities for conducting research activities related to different specialties.
» To continue to upgrade its facilities in response to advances in healthcare and changing needsand trend in hospital services.

Hospital Planning &Architectural Design:

Based upon modern technology and the utilization of the modern approach for the building of any complex, specially a large hospital, the Chief Architect, Chandigarh Administration evolved a new concept based on the modular system with self-contained modules for different functions with vertical and horizontal integration, a central core which will take away the use of unending corridors of the traditional hospital buildings constructed in the past.Hospital building has been constructed with the highest specifications available in the country so that it can be kept hygienically clean and relatively infection free. Crevices, projections and other designs, which can collect dust and cobwebs, have been avoided in the construction.
In this first phase, Block-A with approximately 250 beds, emergency areas for various specialties, ICU, operation theatres, private wards and a canteen was constructed. The adjoining partial construction of Block-D, which is a link between Block- A and OPD Block-B was also completed. It was inaugurated in June, 1995, by HE Lt. Gen (Retd.) B K N Chhibber, Governor Punjab & Administrator, UT, Chandigarh. OPD services were started in June, 1995, inpatient admission in May, 1996, and emergency services in March, 1997.
In second phase Block-B which is an out-patient block was constructed. Construction work of this block started in the financial year 1993-94. The foundation stone of Block-B was laid by Shri S.B. Chavan, the Union Home Minister. This block was inaugurated by Shri Dalit Ezhilmalai, Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare on 22.6.1999.
In third phase the construction of the main hospital wing (IPD Block) i.e. Block-C housing laundry, main kitchen, various wards and 14 operation theatres was started in February, 1995. Its foundation stone was laid by ShriPranab Mukherjee, the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission and Union Minister for External Affairs. It wasinagurated by Hon'ble Health Minister Dr. AmbumaniRamadoss on 22.09.04. The remaining part of Block-D, (Administrative block), having the departments of Radiodiagnosis, Radiotherapy, Dentistry, Blood Bank, Central Sterile Services Department and the administrative offices of various clinical departments of the Medical College has also been completed.
Construction of Block-E i.e. Academic block which will house the pre and para-clinical departments such as Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology, Microbiology. Pharmacology, Forensic Medicine and Community Medicine is at an advanced stage will start functioning in 2014.

Hospital Blocks

BLOCK-A: Emergency Block

Five Floors (45,000 sq. ft. on each floor) Total Area: 2,25,000
sq. ft.